1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to digital image processing, and more specifically pertains to miniature digital video teleconferencing imaging systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Video teleconferencing cameras for personal computers are becoming very common. However, prior art designs have failed to locate the camera lens close to the user""s eye level. Typically, the camera is either too high and looking above the user""s forehead, or too low and looking up the user""s nose.
It is ergonomically correct for the user to look down at the computer monitor screen, so that the user""s eyeballs are approximately level with the top of the monitor screen or at a slight distance, such as one inch, below the top. However, conventional teleconferencing cameras are generally designed to be seated on the top of a computer monitor, which means that they are placed too high. For that reason, the typical conventional cameras are designed with a very low height profile in order to place the camera lens as low as possible, for example, as shown in FIG. 1.
Other conventional cameras have the lens mounted at the end of an elongated, flexible shaft, which gives them the appearance of an eye on a very long neck, as shown in FIG. 2. This structure allows manual adjustment of the lens location with a high degree of freedom, but the design may obscure the computer monitor screen.
Therefore, there is a need for a digital video teleconferencing camera for desktop or portable computers which has a simple and aesthetically pleasing design. Moreover, there is a need for small, low cost, digital teleconferencing cameras for consumers, which are inexpensive, suitable for mass production, durable, ergonomically comfortable, and which provide ease of handling a wide range of uses, and a variety of mounting options.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve video cameras.
It is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings associated with the prior art;
Another object of this invention is to provide a small video camera for desktop or portable computers in which the camera lens is level with the user""s eyes;
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a small video camera which will rest securely on a computer monitor and which is suitable for mass production and use in a variety of consumer imaging applications.
These, as well as additional objects and advantages of the present invention, are achieved by a video teleconference camera apparatus comprising a base member and a camera body. The base member has a flat base portion and a vertically depending arm with a socket formed on the arm. The camera body has a rear surface with a ball member extending therefrom, the ball member being sized to form a ball-and-socket connection with the socket located on the arm. The base portion is adapted to rest on the top surface of a computer monitor and is of sufficient weight to maintain the camera body disposed in front of the monitor. The camera body is therefore positioned more closely to user eye level, while the ball and socket mechanism permits pointing the camera in a desired direction, for example, to maintain eye-to-eye contact.